1/6 Issey Miyake

NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー

1/6

We measure time, but do we feel it?

As everything around us has been digitized, information arrives instantly—and with it, something quieter has been lost. The satisfaction of discovery. The sense of time actually fleeting.

I wanted to design a watch that brings that feeling back. Not just to read the time, but to feel it ticking.

Client
Issey Miyake
Year
2019
Contact
ISSEY MIYAKE WATCH
Photo
©Seiko Watch Corporation.
Logo
Edward Leida
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer | Pine needles, laid out like a dial—each one a different length, a different curve. No two moments alike.
Pine needles, laid out like a dial—each one a different length, a different curve. No two moments alike.
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer | The same study in daylight. Arranged for a moment, then gone—time, made of found things.
The same study in daylight. Arranged for a moment, then gone—time, made of found things.
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー

The name comes from the movement inside. A mechanical watch does not tick once per second—the hand advances six times, in 1/6-second steps. Time, felt not as a count but as a flow.

 
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer | Prototypes, movements, and the tools between them—the watch, still in pieces.
Prototypes, movements, and the tools between them—the watch, still in pieces.
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー | Photo: Laurel Golio
Photo: Laurel Golio
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, nao tamura, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー, nao tamura, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer | The 1/6 logotype by Edward Leida—the fraction drawn as motion, the slash as a hand mid-tick.
The 1/6 logotype by Edward Leida—the fraction drawn as motion, the slash as a hand mid-tick.

Selected Projects

Porro_RYO_NaoTamura01_1
Modular systemRYO
A single fold. The flat becomes form, the form becomes space.PORRO
FLUID lighting by Nao Tamura for WonderGlass, Venice, Nao Tamura, Designer, Japanese designer, 田村奈穂、たむらなお
LightingFLUID
Light is fleeting. But passed through liquid, it settles, layers, and softly stays.WonderGlass
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura, 田村奈穂, 奈穂田村, 田村なお, Nao Tamura designer, Nao Tamura lighting, Nao Tamura Tiki, Nao Tamura Established & Sons, 田村奈穂 デザイナー, 日本人デザイナー, 女性デザイナー, female designer, Japanese designer, Tiki lamp, TIKI, ティキランプ, Tiki light, Tiki portable lamp, Tiki cordless lamp, Established & Sons, Established and Sons, Established & Sons Tiki, Salone del Mobile, サローネ, ミラノサローネ, Milan Design Week, Milan Design Week 2025, サローネ2025, ミラノデザインウィーク, Design Week Milan, Fuorisalone, フオリサローネ, lighting designer, product designer, portable lamp, cordless light, dimmable LED lamp, interactive lamp, bird-shaped lamp, sculptural lighting, playful design, poetic design, emotional lighting, Japanese lighting design, modern table lamp, matte white lamp, gloss black lamp, olive green lamp, blue lamp, rechargeable LED light, magnetic charging lamp, desk lamp, bedside lamp, ambient light, design object, sustainable design, サステナブルデザイン, timeless design, storytelling design, lighting that moves with you, balance and play, 静かな喜び, 詩的なデザイン, 小鳥のランプ
LightingTIKI
A bird perches for a brief pause. Wherever it lands, it moves freely. And with it comes a fleeting warmth—a quiet joy.Established & Sons
NaoTamura_GandiaBlasco_Dunne18
FurnitureDUNNE
Not the drama of waves. The quieter forms they leave behind.Gandia Blasco
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura, 田村奈穂, 田村なお, 奈穂田村, Nao Tamura designer, Nao Tamura lighting, Nao Tamura Vosco, Nao Tamura Ambientec, Nao Tamura Salone del Mobile, 田村奈穂 デザイナー, 日本人デザイナー, 女性デザイナー, アンビエンテック, Vosco, ボスコ, Ambientec Vosco, Japanese designer, female designer, product designer, lighting designer, サローネ, Salone del Mobile, Milan Design Week, Karimoku, カリモク, サステナブルデザイン, sustainable design
LightingVOSCO
Like a tool worn smooth by years of use. One purpose, always there.Ambientec
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura, 田村奈穂, 田村なお, 奈穂田村, Nao Tamura designer, Nao Tamura Issey Miyake, Nao Tamura Pleats Please, Nao Tamura store design, Nao Tamura shop design, 田村奈穂 デザイナー, 日本人デザイナー, 女性デザイナー, PLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE, Pleats Please, プリーツプリーズ, イッセイミヤケ, Issey Miyake store, イッセイミヤケ 店舗デザイン, Issey Miyake shop design, Pleats Please store design, Pleats Please shop design Tokyo, store design, shop design, retail design, boutique design, 空間デザイン, 店舗デザイン, 商空間デザイン, インテリアデザイン, pleats factory, pleats process, 工場見学, プリーツ工場, tools, process, experiment, 25°, 25度, diagonal line, geometric design, toolbox inspired, minimal design, Japanese designer, female designer, product designer, space design, Salone del Mobile, Milan Design Week, サローネ, ミラノサローネ | PHOTO © ISSEY MIYAKE INC.
Space DesignPLEATS PLEASE ISSEY MIYAKE
Not glamour. Practicality, durability, comfort—function as the source of beauty.ISSEY MIYAKE
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura, NIKARI, naotamura, nownao, Scandinavian design, stool, design, wood, nature, craftsmanship, ニカリ,finish design, Finland, フィンランド、照明、田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、女性デザイナー、ニューヨーク、コードレス、防水照明, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
FurnitureJULY
Three slices, each imperfect, joined into one.NIKARI
2024_Porro_Origata01, ORIGATA, PORRO, Italian Design, Japanese design, ポロ、おりがた, 手仕事、Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_, NaoTamura, designer, design, art, lighting, lamp, beauty, lagoon, WG, japanese, 田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、デザイン、プロダクト、ニューヨーク、女性デザイン, 女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、サローネ、ミラノサローネ、Salone, Milan Salone, Milan design week, Salone Del Mobile, Fort Salone
FurnitureORIGATA
The kimono taught me: nothing forced, nothing wasted.PORRO
KoOlina_NaoTamura06, CASCADE, 手仕事、ベニス、ガラス細工、Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_WonderGlass01, glass, venice, Wonderglass, NaoTamura, designer, design, art, lighting, lamp, beauty, lagoon, WG, japanese, 田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、デザイン、プロダクト、ニューヨーク、女性デザイン, 女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, interconnection, Hawaii, hotel, installation, installation art, nature, nature and technology
InstallationKO OLINA
Movement, nature, and architecture become quietly interconnected.Toyo Ito Architects
CASCADE, 手仕事、ベニス、ガラス細工、Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_WonderGlass01, glass, venice, Wonderglass, NaoTamura, designer, design, art, lighting, lamp, beauty, lagoon, WG, japanese, 田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、デザイン、プロダクト、ニューヨーク、女性デザイン, 女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
FurnitureCASCADE
In its molten state, glass pools and flows like a stream. A moment held still, while time continues.WonderGlass
Disect_NaoTamura17
Art directionDISSECT
Both humans and plants share a fundamental need for light.AMBIENTEC
NaoTamura_TURN00, naotamura, nownao, lighting, lamp, design, cordless, lighting fixture, metal, ambiented, アンビエンテック、照明、田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、女性デザイナー、ニューヨーク、コードレス、防水照明, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、ターンクラフト、クラフト、工芸、手仕事、TURN CRAFT, TURNCRAFT, craft | The leather grip, hand-stitched from Tuscan Liscio, slowly conforms to the hand. It darkens and deepens with time, carrying the trace of its owner.
LightingTURN CRAFT
Crafted slowly by hand, the leather deepens with use over time.Ambientec
IittalaMenoWater01, Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_TURN00, naotamura, nownao, Iittala, Finland, フィンランド、, lamp, design, cordless, lighting fixture, metal, ambiented, アンビエンテック、照明、田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、女性デザイナー、ニューヨーク、コードレス、防水照明, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, Finland, WaterBottle, water, nature, wood, Scandinavian design, 北欧、北欧デザイン、
ProductMENO
My hope is to have it become a part of one's everyday life for a long time just as we yearn to live and be a part of this planet for a long time.IITTALA
NaoTamura_Horizont01, NAOTAMURA, installation, WonderGlass, blowing glass, lighting, d’daysparis, Palaisdetokyo, Paris, France, Venice, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、照明、インスタレーション、ニューヨーク, nao tamura, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, Kyocera museum, 京セラ美術館、
InstallationVISIONARIES
Suspended forms of light drift through the space, connecting reflections between Venice and Kyoto.Kyocera Museum
MilanSalone2023_NAoTamura, Nao Tamura, Salone, Milan, SaloneSatellite, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー, designer, talk, interconnection, インターコネクション、
TalksPOWER OF INTERCONNECTION
Design is about communication. It guides the creative process, lighting the path to a more sustainable future.TEDx / DIMAD / Salone del Mobile
NaoTamura_おりがた、origami, origata, japanesedesign, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, Triangle, TheToiletProject, tokyotoilet, thetokyotoilet, thetokyotoiletproject, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、toilet、design、architecture、red, orange, color, トイレ、デザイン、トイレデザイン、赤、オレンジ、建築、モダン、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, 日本財団、Japanfoundation, Nipponfonundation
PUBLIC SPACETHE TOKYO TOILET
How can a communal space like the public bathroom evolve in order to effectively accommodate our infinitely diverse needs?THE TOKYO TOILET
NaoTamura_Lexus01, lexus, toyota, installation, art, mobile, balance, Naotamura, japanese, overwrap, motion, amazing in motion, beauty, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, nature, sun shower, Maria Cristina Didero, Aric chen
InstallationSUNSHOWER
An immersive installation inspired by the fleeting appearance of sunshowers.Lexus Toyota
Nao Tamura, NaoTamura_TURN00, naotamura, nownao, lighting, lamp, design, cordless, lighting fixture, metal, ambiented, アンビエンテック、照明、田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、女性デザイナー、ニューヨーク、コードレス、防水照明, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
LightingTURN+
In difficult moments, even a small light can quietly stay beside us.AMBIENTEC
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, ISSEYMIYAKE, SEIKO, WATCH, 1/6, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、時計、イッセイミヤケ、三宅一生、女性デザイナー
Product1/6
Not just to read the time, but to feel it ticking.Issey Miyake
NaoTamura_Sage00, NaoTamura, sage. lighting, design, cordless, lamp, ambientec, task lamp, nownao, 田村奈穂、田村なお、照明、アンビエンテック、コードレス | The first working prototype—electronics still bare.
LightingSAGE
Plants always turn toward light. SAGE follows the same logic.Ambientec
Design, NaoTamura, New York, Japanese, diffuser, nature, lotus, art, designer, nownao, asian, edwardleida, davidprince hilaryrobertson, 田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、デザイン、プロダクト、ニューヨーク、女性デザイン, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, craftsmanship
ProductBOTANICA
Natural forms carry memory. Across cultures, a shape drawn from nature speaks to something people already know.BLOOMYLOTUS
NaoTamura_TURN00, naotamura, nownao, lighting, lamp, design, cordless, lighting fixture, metal, ambiented, アンビエンテック、照明、田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、女性デザイナー、ニューヨーク、コードレス、防水照明, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
LightingTURN
In a world where things are easily replaced, what makes us keep something close?Ambientec
NaoTamura_Urushi00, nao tamura, naotamura, nownao, urushi, japanese, plates, craft, art, design, designer, toyoito, 伊東豊雄、田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, sketches, craftsmanship、漆、工芸、中田英寿
ArtURUSHI
Urushi, applied thin enough to let the wood show through.Toyo Ito Architects
NaoTamura, japanesedesign, NaoTamura, nownao, Japanese, designer, JapanDesign, watch, Triangle, TheToiletProject, tokyotoilet, thetokyotoilet, thetokyotoiletproject, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、toilet、design、architecture、installation, インスタレーション, color, トイレ、デザイン、照明、照明デザイン、、赤、オレンジ、建築、モダン、女性デザイナー, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, 日本財団、Japanfoundation, Nipponfonundation
LightingWEAVING THE LIGHT
Thin fibers of light weave softly through space.Panasonic
NaoTamura_HBF01, hbf, sofa, furniture, naotamura, nownao, design, designer, japanese, nature, kanso,Design, NaoTamura, New York, Japanese, 田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、デザイン、プロダクト、ニューヨーク、女性デザインNaoTamura_Lexus01, lexus, toyota, installation, art, mobile, balance, Naotamura, japanese, overwrap, motion, amazing in motion, beauty, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process | Free to sit anywhere, she chose a space of her own.
FurnitureKANSO
One sofa, three people, three spaces. A small boundary can give someone a world of their own.HBF
NaoTamura_Horizont01, NAOTAMURA, installation, WonderGlass, blowing glass, lighting, d’daysparis, Palaisdetokyo, Paris, France, Venice, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、照明、インスタレーション、ニューヨーク, nao tamura, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer
InstallationMOVING HORIZON
Points of light, slowly connecting into a shifting horizon.Palais de Tokyo
NaoTamura_Lexus01, lexus, toyota, installation, art, mobile, balance, Naotamura, japanese, overwrap, motion, amazing in motion, beauty, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process | Detail: Acrylic discs on steel rods, suspended on thread. No motors—only air.
InstallationINTERCONNECTION
Interconnected and interdependent, there is a constant give-and-take in nature. Our collective motion, nature's response to our movements is essential to our planet's delicate balance.Lexus
FLUID lighting by Nao Tamura for WonderGlass, Venice
LightingFLOW[T]
Venice at dusk. Light suspended between two worlds.Wonderglass
NaoTamura_IN_NaniMarquina20
ProductQUILL
No two feathers are ever alike.Nanimarquina
NaoTamura_Momento04
Lighting / InstallationMOMENTO
A droplet, suspended in light, just before it falls.WONDERGLASS
NaoTamura_HEM10
KitchenwareSASSO
Cutting, chopping, serving. A million years ago, humans used one tool on which to perform multiple functions.HEM
New_NaoTamura_Artek02_3
ArtRINGS
A tree holds its entire history within. Layer by layer, year by year.Artek
NaoTamura_Space01, milan, milanSalone, salone, forisalone, installation, spacedesign, design, fabric, wonder glass, WG, naotamura, japanese, nature, lighting, flowt, lamp, chandelier, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン、nao tamura, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, craftsmanship, design sketches, mood board, lifestyle, photography, 空間デザイン
Space DesignFOG
Layers of translucent fabric and light create a shifting atmosphere inspired by the fog of Venice.Fuorisalone
NaoTamura_Seasons01, seasons, plate, salone, salonesatellite, award, leaf, naotamura, nownao, nature, japanese, art, installation, design, functional, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン、nao tamura
Product / InstallationSEASONS
Some things wither. Some are born anew. Like the changing seasons, objects too exist within this cycle.COVO
NaoTamura_EstablishedSons03, establishedandsons, british, design, bird, lamp, lighting, pop, nature, naotamura, nownao, japanese, beauty, 田村なお、田村奈穂、デザイナー、デザイン、プロダクト、ニューヨーク、女性デザイン, nao tamura, NewYork designer, NYC, Female designer、デザインプロセス、スケッチ、design process, craftsmanship
LightingTIKI (ORIGINAL)
A fleeting moment of warmth, like a bird gently perching by your side.Established & Sons
NaoTamura_IsseyMiyake01, ISSEYMIYAKE, FURFUME, SPRINGSUMMER, NAOTAMURA, NOWNAO, DESIGN, BEAUTY, JAPANESE, GLASS, TRANSPARENT, nao tamura, 田村奈穂、田村なお、デザイナー、女性デザイン
ProductL’EAU D’ISSEY
As winter fades away, the bottle blooms with the quiet arrival of spring.Issey Miyake